Browse Al Islam

V. Natural Disasters or Divine Punishment?

Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad
The Review of Religions, April 1994

The following article is the concluding part of the present series of five articles
being published in the Review of Religions since December, 1993. These articles
were written by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, before his election as the Caliph of
the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and were originally published in the Al Furqan
of Rabwah during 1976. The present series has been rendered into English by Mansoor
A. Shah to whom the Review of Religions is greatly indebted.

Although from the foregoing arguments, readers may be unable to find out the
precise period, as compared to the three centuries of nascent Christianity,
required for the victory of Islam over other faiths and completion of its mission,
one issue must have become glaringly obvious that this period is firmly connected
with the advent of the Imam Mahdi and the Promised Messiah. This advent represents
a milestone in the history of Islam and has been fixed on the crossroad were
Islam was to join the fast lane while, for other non Ahmadi Muslims, it was
an unending and narrowing track. But those who are Ahmadis and have expressed
their faith in the one who, while remaining wholly subservient to the Holy Prophet
(sa), claimed under Divine command that he was the World Reformer of the latter
age and the Promised Messiah, for such Ahmadis, this period has become specific
before them. According to them, the fourteenth century after the advent of Islam
is the century for the preparation of the worldwide triumph of Islam.

Returning to the subject under discussion, we take up this question again
that why is it that the religion of the Holy Prophet (sa) has been unable to
prevail over other faiths of the world and why, despite this apparent failure,
did divine punishment not wipe out from the face of the earth those people who
rejected him?

This question has two parts. Firstly, why did Islam not prevail in the first
phase of its nascent development? One answer has already been given previously.
The second answer is that the Holy Prophet (sa) was not confined to any region
or nation but his message addressed the whole world and his objective was to
gather the whole of mankind under one religion. This could have only been possible
when the physical means for bringing mankind together also existed. Such means
did not exist during the time of the earlier rise of Islam. Indeed, a vast part
of the world, which we call the New World, had not been discovered then. Even
if Islam had prevailed over the then known world, almost half of the world would
have remained bereft of the light of Islam. In addition, the means of communication
and facilities for bringing mankind together under one universal brotherhood
had not been discovered. In view of these difficulties, the ultimate victory
had to undoubtedly await the time when the Will of God Almighty allowed distances
to become insignificant and neither mountains, wild wastelands, nor vast oceans
to stand as a hinderance in international relationships being established.

In light of this, when we study the Holy Quran, we find numerous prophecies
which tell us about the progress of man in latter ages. Sometimes we find references
to fast means of transport and at other times of unions and associations bringing
mankind together. Sometimes we find a prophecy relating to the mass production
of books and journals through which man can easily convey his thinking and point
of view. Then we also have prophecies which foretell that some seas will be
made to join together which at the time of the revelation of the Holy Quran
had dry land separating them. Reflecting on these prophecies, one comes to the
natural conclusion that before the time of the ultimate victory of Islam takes
place, these signs would have either manifested themselves or would be undergoing
rapid development towards this end. Therefore, whenever man beholds these signs,
he should naturally anticipate that the time has come for the advent of the
Imam who would initiate the movement for the ultimate victory of Islam over
all false religions.

These second part of the question is that if complete victory could not be
accomplished, why did divine punishment not annihilate the people who rejected
the Holy Prophet (sa)? The answer to this is that if two phases of victory had
been predestined, divine chastisement should also have two pre-ordained periods
- one in the beginning and the other in the latter age. Common sense cannot
for a moment accept the logic that the second victory should have been pre-destined
for the a latter age, yet without the waiting for that age, divine punishment
should unleash itself and annihilate the disbelievers. Thus, if another victory
had been predestinated for the latter days, divine punishment should also have
been reserved for that age.

Numerous verses of the Holy Quran prophesy precisely that. When we reflect
on these verses, it becomes clear that there are many Signs of God and misfortunes
which were earmarked for those who deny the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam. Some
of these Signs and punishments derive from fire while others are somewhat like
the havoc created by great earthquakes. Their intensity and the area that such
disasters would cover would be so great as to reduce large superpowers and colossal
nations, which once stood like unscalable mountains, to dust. All their isms,
might and power would disintegrate to such an extent that they would either
have to resign themselves to belief or be practically ground to dust. The long
and short of all these prophecies is that all those hindrances and barriers
which had hitherto prevented them and kept them bereft of complete obedience
to the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam would be removed from their paths. Describing
such a punishment, God Almighty alludes to these superpowers metaphorically
as mountains in Chapter Taha of the Holy Quran and states:

`They ask thee concerning the mountains. Say, My Lord will break
them into pieces and scatter them to dust. And He will leave them as a barren,
level plain wherein thou wilt see no depression or elevation. On that day, they
will follow the caller (in whose teaching) there will be no deviation; and (all)
voices shall be hushed before the (voice of the) Gracious (God) and thou shalt
not hear but a subdued murmur.' [20.106/109]

The subject of these verses does not relate to Doomsday or to the final days before
the Day of Resurrection but to life on this earth. If the connotation derived
is that the mountains will break into pieces on Doomsday, then `On that day they
will follow the Caller' will be meaningless because it would mean that on that
day they will begin to obey fully the call of the Holy Prophet (sa) in whose teaching
there will be no deviation. It is obvious that when mountains will be broken into
pieces and the land will be made barren, man will be far too insignificant to
confront Doomsday not only live and kicking, but as in everyday life, in full
control of his powers of discernment between black and white and able to accept
or reject the faith he so pleases while as the saying goes, all hell is breaking
loose around him.

Therefore, the words, `On that day they will follow the Caller' have made
it abundantly clear that the mountains which were going to be broken into pieces
are not any physical mountains but those hindrances and obstacles in the path
of Islam in the form of great superpowers which stand like mountains blocking
the march of Islam. In other verses of the Holy Quran also, references to the
mountains is used as a metaphor but the restraints of space restrict a lengthy
discussion on these. In any case, one thing is very clear that a direct instrument
in breaking the colossus of the mountains will be the publication of Islamic
literature. At that time, the question phrased in the respective lingua franca
of that time will be asking the Islamic world what will become of such mountains
and how can Islam prevail over these great and mighty powers who numerically,
economically, financially and in all material strength pose a danger and great
misfortune for Islam. When the Muslims of today are blindly following Western
trends and lifestyles and aping Western culture, then how can Islam and Islamic
values overcome the materially superior force. The Holy Quran commands, O Prophet,
Say unto them that my Lord will smash into pieces these mountain like superpowers
and proud nations, break their stiff necks, scatter them as dust and leave them
barren. Reduced to this level of humility and selflessness, they will became
capable of following you an obeying you and obeying your teachings in which
there is no deviation.

In many other verses of the Holy Quran cited earlier, we find references to
divine punishment of this kind which relate to the latter days. Now the question
is that when during these fourteen hundred years, the world has all but forgotten
these things and centuries old forewarning have been erased from human minds,
then can divine punishment inflict its toll in the present age without a fresh
forewarning? This question has been answered earlier and it has been clarified
that before divine punishments takes a fresh toll in this age, the advent had
to take place of an Imam [leader] who was once again to admonish and forewarn
mankind of these difficult and disaster ridden times.

How was this forewarning given? What details have been given of such calamities?
How far have the forewarning seen the fullness of time? How many yet remain
to be fulfilled? These are all matters which will be taken up in the next series.

The claim of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is that this unending series of
trails, tribulations, misfortunes and calamities being experienced in this age
are not links in the chain of routine day to day events but represent a divine
punishment. The Promised Messiah had warned them well ahead of time and through
very clear and precise prophecies had alerted mankind that the final triumph
of Islam had now commenced. If the world does not bow before the teachings of
the Holy Prophet (sa) of Islam then God Almighty will pile up disaster after
disaster, one after the other to shake and awaken the world from its slumber.
This will continue and will not end till Islam finally prevails over the world.

In the next series, we shall Insha Allah assess this subject to see how the
Founder of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Movement completed his mission and
which arguments prove that he had been commissioned by none other than God Almighty.